The Japanese main invasion at Lingayen Gulf consists of three transport
echelons. The first is composed of 27 transports from Takao under Rear Admiral
Hara Kensaburo, the second of 28 transports under Rear Admiral Nishimura and the
third of 21 transports from Keelung under Rear Admiral Hirose Sueto. This force
of 76 transports carries the main part of LtGen Homma Masaharu's 80,000-man 14th
Army.

7 September 1943: At 0115, on her first war patrol, LtCdr Ian C.
Eddy‘s (USNA ’30) USS PARGO (SS-264) attacks the convoy on the surface using
radar bearings. Eddy fires six torpedoes at the convoy, but gets no hits.

11 September 1943: At about 1200 arrives at Mako, Pescadores. Later
that day, the convoy departs and arrives at Takao.

28 October 1943:
Re-requisitioned by the IJA as troop transport No. 886.

13 March 1944: 40 miles NNE of Hachijo-jima. At 0310, LtCdr Malcom E.
Garrison's new USS SAND LANCE (SS-381) sets up and fires four stern torpedoes at
the convoy. Two hit and sink TATSUTA at 32-52N 139-12E. The other two hit and
sink transport KOKUYO MARU carrying 1,029 troops. SAND LANCE undergoes an
18-hour attack by the escorts. SAND LANCE, a thick-skinned BALAO-class, dives to
550-feet and escapes 105 depth charges. Minesweeper W-20 is ordered to the area
of the sinking.

16 August 1944:At 1835, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Kure for Naha, Okinawa
in convoy No. 609 also consisting of and GYOKU and KAZUURA MARUs escorted by
destroyers TSUGA and HASU and kaibokan UJI. The convoy is carrying about 6,000
troops of the 62nd Infantry Division and over 900 horses for its Field Heavy
Artillery.

19 August 1944:Arrives at Naha.

21 August 1944: At 1835, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Naha for Moji in
convoy NAMO-103 also consisting of GYOKU and KAZUURA MARUs escorted by destroyer HASU and gunboat UJI. TSUSHIMA MARU is evacuating 1,788 passengers including 826 school children from Okinawa
and carrying another 1,529 passengers and crewmen.

22 August 1944: Ryukyu Islands. Cdr John Corbus’ USS BOWFIN (SS-287) attacks the convoy. At 2212, Corbus torpedoes and sinks unlit and unmarked TSUSHIMA MARU at 29-32N, 129-33E.
Fearing submarine attack, no ships in the convoy stop to rescue survivors in the water. 1529 passengers including 682 children are killed and 21 gunners and 24 crewmen are KIA. Later, only 59 of the children are saved.
Corbus makes four other attacks and fires numerous torpedoes. UJI and HASU do not counter-attack.

Author's Notes:
Thanks go to the late John Whitman for info on IJA troops and to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.